My Girlfreind's a Vampire: And so am I
by GeekGothHybrid
Summary: It's a working title. Story Two, continued from My Girlfreind's a Vampire. It's been six months since Michel Teir has assumed the mantle of Lord Michel Valentine, first scion of House Valentine. Facing threats from within, without and beyond will he be able to save his House and his fiancee Rebeca from the various enemies threatening to tear everything they have worked for apart.
1. Chapter 1

My Girlfreind's a Vampire: And So am I

Chapter 1.A *Following Mitch

Lord Michel Valentine took a deep breath as he finally set his pen down, finally done with the budget for the month. They were doing well, financially at least, they were making money, not a whole lot but not having to draw on their base investment was good. He hated this part of his responsibilities, the paperwork. He closed the tick leather-bound book and replaced it next to the other blank books on the bookcase in his study. It was a fairly spacious room, with a warm natural look, mostly browns, some greens and oranges but all in a natural coloring and wood. He sat back down in his chair behind the dark wood desk and saw the time, 1:37 am. Mitch stood up and heard a knock at the door. His hand naturally brushed the sheath of sword given to him by Lord Kastov Delacroix that was leaning on the desk next to his chair and gave the door a wary look.  
"Enter," He said, his legs partially bent.

The door opened slowly and Mitch relaxed as Alice Valentine walked into his study. Alice was not related to Mitch at all but when he offered a place in his House to her she jumped at the opportunity especially since he had been the one to release her from her bonds of slavery.

Alice was a Kindred, a dead human, brought back to life by a pureblood to serve them for all time, at least, that was the idea. The reality was closer to Kindred were forced to serve their pureblood masters because they could supply the Kindred with the blood the Kindred needed to survive.

"Good evening Alice, how was your day?" Mitch asked.  
"It was fine m'lord," She says, her straight blonde hair covering her blue eyes as she looked down, not looking at Mitch.  
"You know I don't like it when you call me that when we are not in a formal setting," Mitch said with a sigh and walked over to her.  
"I'm sorry m'l- Mitch, I'm sorry Mitch," She corrected herself and looked up at him and backed up a step when she saw Mitch approach.  
"Do you fear me Alice?" Mitch asked, concerned.  
"No, Mitch, you do not. I'm just... Not used to being an equal yet," She says looking him in the eye.  
"Is anyone making you feel otherwise?" Mitch asked.  
"No sir. Everyone here has been nothing but curtious and polite. In fact I'm surprised we haven't had any complaints from within the House about how we conduct ourselves," She said with a smile.  
"You have excellent judgement with regards to who you let stay," She added before Mitch could speak. She was referring to how Mitch had paired up everyone living here with their opposite, always a Pureblood and Kindred bunking together. Over the last 3 months since him and Rebeca, along with Melissa, Erin and Alice had finally gotten the mansion in shape and refurnished.

There had been no incidents between the pairs. As far as Mitch could tell, Purebloods were taught from birth that they were superior to the Kindred. But that seemed like nonsense, racism talking, given how Kindred were treated like servants at best, slaves or worse in some cases. Luckily for Mitch, none of that had happened here where the roommates were a Kindred and Pureblood. He had only accepted those who he had personally vetted.

"My judge of character aside, I am also surprised. It seems like everyone is happy with the arrangement here. It's better than what the rest of the Houses at any rate," Mitch said with a sigh. Technically there were only 5 members of House Valentine right now but at least 20 people were living on the estate. The space was huge and could probably comfortably hold another 10 plus a couple guests. Everyone else was from another house aside from the Kindred. They were not of House Valentine but they weren't owned by any other house. They were escaped slaves, with at least a year since anyone tried to recapture them. Mitch had instructed Melissa and her brother Erin to find suitable candidates and give them his offer to move in at his house or retain their independence and remain where they were. Of the nearly dozen Kindred Melissa brought him. He only rejected a couple which had surprised Mitch. Melissa was also a good judge of character it would seem.

"It's time Mitch," Alice said, bringing him back.  
"Huh?" Mitch asked. She smiled and rolled her eyes at his feigned confusion.  
"You know as well as I do what I'm talking about. You'll never admit it but you feel the pull... The pit in your stomach like me and the other Kindred," Mitch was silent, she was right, he wouldn't admit it. He was still ashamed at what he had to do to survive. He wasn't ashamed to do it, he was ashamed he had to, despite that he had no control over his hunger, like any other kindred, or pureblood, or human or most other animals. Mitch took a deep breath before nodding and beckoning Alice over. She smiled, like she always did and walked behind him as he sat down in his chair. She draped her arms over his shoulders and felt her closeness as she offered her right arm's wrist to him.

Mitch felt his Beast, Michel's presence surge in him and felt his fangs extend. In many ways he was the same as a Kindred. Pale of skin, stronger, faster, tougher with senses better than any human by a significant margin. Kindred were the typical more modern take on vampires now an days, but no reaction to the sunlight. Just like the Pureblood had intended, they insured that Kindred would find no safe haven but within their master's walls. Purebloods, were nearly identical to humans, hell they 'could be' human if they wanted but when they drink blood. They age slower, and gain a mystical power of some sort. Some Kindred also gain power when they are turned into a Kindred but it's somewhat rare which it is nearly automatic for Purebloods.

Mitch also suffers from the Kindred's Curse as well. An unending, nearly insatiable hunger for Blood, and a fractured soul, curtiosy of a ritual performed by Pureblood Society hundreds of years ago. The Man, Mitch, and the Beast, Mitch had named it Michel, the feeling is difficult to describe, separate yet familiar entities inhabiting the same body. Only one was in control, though the amount of 'closeness' to the surface the other soul could have an effect on the one in control.

The Beast operates by a simple code. 'The Man protects the Beast, and the Beast protects the Man' as Michel had told Mitch. Typically this means the Beast completely subsumes the Man and suppresses them in order to protect their shared body. Michel had yet to try and take Mitch over, why? If Michel knew he did not tell Mitch.

Mitch felt Michel's familiar presence beside him in his mind.  
*Feed* He heard Michel say in his mind. The voice was similar to Mitch's but not human at the same time. Mitch opened his mouth and bit into Alice's wrist. Hot, red lifeblood filling Mitch's mouth and he drank, feeling both satisfaction of a hunger being sated and an ecstasy-like pleasure filling him. He heard a soft moan come from Alice as he fed, it never took long, at least, it didn't have to and Mitch concentrated on feeding rather than the pleasure and 20 seconds or so after he had bit, he released Alice's arm and licked the wound, sealing it shut. Mitch wasn't sure how it happened but it did and he knew since the first time he fed, that it would.

"My turn?" Mitch looked up in surprise, he must not have been paying attention because normally he can hear people's footsteps approaching.  
"Rebeca!" Alice said with a start, jumping a little. She too, must not have been paying attention.

Mitch looked up and saw his fiancee standing there, leaning against the open door frame with a small smile on her lovely face. She was green of both hair and eye. Not long ago she had thick curly brown hair that went past her shoulders, recently though she had gotten her hair cut and dyed. She now had a dark green hair that didn't reach past her chin. Her facial features were soft, rounded, her eyes a little large but she could pull off a closed eyed anime style smile Mitch had loved the last 3, almost 4 years. She had a petite figure and she was wearing a familiar outfit, a blue blouse and skirt with purple and black stripped leggings.

"Lady Rebeca!" Alice says quickly and started to stumble and fall. Mitch, quick as lighting is up out of his chair and steadies Alice.  
"Thank you m'lord," Alice says gratefully before turning to Rebeca and opening her mouth but Rebeca interrupts her with a raised hand.  
"It's ok Alice. I know what day it is. I'm not mad at you," She says sincerely and turns her head to her left.  
"Melissa, could you please help Alice to her room, then you both are dismissed for the evening."

"Sure thing Rebeca," Melissa says before rounding the corner and entering Mitch's study. She smiles slightly at Mitch and winks. She was wearing a new outfit that seemed at odds with her usual black T-shirt and skinny jean look he had gotten used to. Her shoulder length black hair was pulled up into a short ponytail, her face was rather different from Rebeca's, lots of semi-sharp angels. She was wearing a white dress that accentuated her hourglass figure and exposed much of her back.

Melissa had been a shameless flirt to Mitch almost since they first met and that continued after she had accepted Mitch's offer to be brought into House Valentine and to be Rebeca's retainer like her brother Erin was Mitch's retainer, one of a retainer's main duties was being responsible for the safety of their charge, Mitch's feelings towards Melissa were... complicated... but he trusted her enough to charge her with the safety of most important thing in his life, Rebeca's safety. His faith in her was not misplaced though as Melissa had saved Rebeca's life almost to the expense of her own, literally taking a bullet meant for Rebeca to hurt him. Melissa recovered quick enough though, thanks to Kindred's quick recovery rate, they could survive nearly anything that didn't kill them with no lasting damage even severed limbs if Melissa's stories could be believed. Despite Melissa's attitude towards Mitch, Rebeca had taken it surprisingly well and had been known to even tease Mitch about it. Which Mitch was glad to see since that meant they got along well enough.

Mitch could see a number of similarities between himself and Melissa, personality-wise at least, or maybe it was better to say opposites. While Mitch, the man, was primarily in control of his body, Melissa's Beast was normally in control of Melissa's. Though Mitch knew that her 'man' was not completely subsumed by her Beast either and they typically worked well together when they were close together but while Mitch was consistently letting Michel close. Melissa's Beast hardly ever let her 'Man' close.

Melissa walked over to Alice and let her lean on her.  
"Come on Alice, lets get you to your room," Melissa said softly to Alice, who responded by nodding her head and they both walked out of the room.  
"Erin," Mitch called and within a second, Erin was standing at the door way to Mitch's study.  
"Yes Lord Valentine?" He said. Erin had insisted he always use Mitch's formal title and gave indication that he was not going to change so Mitch just let it go. 'Pick your battles'  
"You are dismissed for the night," Mitch said to him and Erin nodded.  
"Yes sir," He responded and headed off after Melissa and Alice.

Mitch was now alone in his study with his wife-to-be. They had planned to have the ceremony in a couple weeks but they had to push it back because their was a huge gathering of Supernaturals and as head of House Valentine, it was his duty to be Pureblood's ambassador to this event. Rebeca had taken it surprisingly well, she was quite understanding.

"Good evening my love... How has your night been?" Rebeca asked, closing the door softly before walking over to him.  
"To be honest? Exceedingly boring," Mitch admitted.  
"I always want you to be honest with me," She says with a smile and stopped close to him before pulling him into a hug.  
"I love you Mitch," She whispers in his ear.  
"I love you too Rebeca," He repeats and kisses her neck and Rebeca purrs in his ear.  
"You full my love?" She asked, trepidation in her voice.  
"Not entirely..." He whispers to her in response.  
"Bite me... Drink your fill of me," She whispers in her softest voice. Mitch brushes her hair gently to one side of her neck as best he can and sits down in hair chair. Rebeca sits down too, in Mitch's lap with her neck exposed to him.

His mouth watered at the thought of feeding from Rebeca. They had done this countless times but it always felt a little different every time but always good. Rebeca had explained to Mitch once that Pureblood could never feed from each other. They were have the same response as if Mitch drank human blood, immediate rejection and ejection in the form of vomit. That was another difference that made Mitch unique. While Pureblood and Kindred alike could feed on humans and Pureblood could feed on Kindred. Mitch could not drink human blood. Only Pureblood or Kindred. Mitch had been lucky, it was all he could do to describe how he was able to secure his position as head of House Valentine and was able to secure Alice from Lord Geovanni, who still hated Mitch's guts.

"Come on baby... Don't make me beg..." Rebeca whispered to Mitch.  
"Never," Mitch responded before biting deep into her neck, Rebeca gasped and moaned. Pressing her mouth to his neck and she bit him, hard, feeding from him... The pleasure was incredible and Mitch pressed them close together. A growl came from Rebeca and Mitch growled back. Standing up out of the chair and with speed no human could achieve pushed Rebeca against a wall in his study.  
"Mitch..." Rebeca gasped at the change in position and they stood there, feeding off each other before after a minute they both calmed down and took their fangs out of each other. Mitch let Rebeca go and down, her back sliding against the wall as Mitch set her on her feet slowly. Mitch smiled down at Rebeca, she looked back at him.

Suddenly her expression was changed, replaced with widen eyes and a panicked expression and her mouth opened. Out of instinct Mitch grabbed Rebeca's shoulders and he threw them both to the ground and Mitch felt something fast, heavy and sharp slice through his somewhat grown out silver hair, cutting some of it.


	2. Chapter 1b

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Chapter 1. B

*Following Rebeca

It was a good thing Mitch could read expressions because Rebeca's scream would've been too late. An intruder just, appeared behind Mitch. It was cloaked in a long black flowing but tattered robe, under the robe Rebeca could make out the dull glint of metal armor. The attacker was at least 6 ft tall with a rather slim appearance but nothing else could be learned from just its appearance. A darkness seemed to emanate from under the hood it wore where it's head would be completely obscuring its face and head. Its hands were encased in jagged, slim fitted gauntlets of dull metal and held a short, heavy black colored sword that seemed to shimmer.

Mitch wrapped his arms around Rebeca and threw them both to the ground, the fiend's initial swing would have taken Mitch's head off, but he had been too fast and it just sliced through some of his longish silver hair. Mitch was rather striking Rebeca noticed at the moment before they collided with the floor. His bright green eye, shimmering silver colored hair, pale flawless skin, these features stuck out. They were all products of Mitch's change to... Well, Rebeca was not quite sure what to call Mitch. He shared a bloodline that would make him a Pureblood in normal circumstances, but he also looked like a Kindred, had their curses too, but he also had qualities that would make him wholly unique. Mitch defied classification.

They landed hard on the ground, the wind getting knocked from Rebeca's chest, just as she was sucking new breath into her lungs she felt Mitch's inhuman strength propel her across the floor, making her roll on her side over and over until she hit a wall more gently than she expected. By the time Rebeca could focus her eyes, her ears were assaulted with the hard ringing of metal on metal as Mitch must have retrieved his sword by his desk and was trading blows with his attacker quickly. They were both faster and stronger than her, the speed of their parries and force of their strikes telling her as much. Mitch seemed to be both stronger and faster but his opponent seemed to have more experience.

Mitch's opponent wore armor from head to toe. Now that it was moving Rebeca could tell however the hood that it wore stayed in place no matter how it moved and the darkness that emanated never wavered. The sword it wielded was a battered thing, it didn't even look sharp, A blackened piece of metal in the shape of a machete but it seemed to glow with a faint ghostly blue light.

"Get out Rebeca! Get everyone out of here!" Mitch yelled as he dodged another strike from his opponent, his voice ragged, tight with concentration.  
"Mitch..." Rebeca trailed. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay and help him somehow.  
"Go!" He yelled, his voice distorted, that was Michel or Michel close enough it was affecting Mitch's voice. Rebeca gritted her teeth and fled the room a plan forming in her head. She ran down the hall to Erin's room.

A few seconds later Rebeca nearly ran into Erin.  
"Erin! Mitch is in trouble but i need you to find Melissa and Alice and i need you all to evacuate the house, right now," Rebeca instructed him. Erin stopped and opened his mouth to say something before closing it and nodded before sprinting towards Alice's room. Rebeca ran to her and Mitch's room.

The master bedroom was huge, easily twice the size of a normal room in this house and even they were spacious. A king bed dominated the center of the room but Rebeca ignored everything and ran into her walk-in closet, shuffling through all the clothes until she found what she wanted. Her hands grasped the slick leather of a scabbard with her rapier like sword in it and a belt. She affixed the belt to her waist and knelt down and retrieved the holster to her Glock and opened the lockbox next to the box that had held the holster, and she put a loaded clip into the Glock before holstering it, making sure the safety was on. She then fixed the holster to the belt at her waist so it rested on the small of her back.

After retrieving her pistol and sword Rebeca rushed back to Mitch's study she was a competent swords woman, Mitch had no idea, but she had been trained in swordplay since she was a young girl. Nathan had caught her unaware and the odds were stacked against a Pureblood in a fair fight against a Kindred. She also had started learning how to shoot, she was a month into practicing regularly but it was slow going.

Rebeca stopped in her tracks as the window to the outside at the end of the hall she was running down shattered, and she saw a man in swat gear holding a big gun extracted himself from his repelling gear and Rebeca ducked to the side, squeezing in a door frame that was deeper into the wall of the hall that would obscure her from sight. She heard a 'whomp' as she heard and felt the front door shatter and the house shook. That is when she started hearing gunfire and screams.

She peeked her head into the hall and the armored intruder was out of sight, and she couldn't hear him around. Rebeca hoped and prayed that Erin and Melissa could protect the others and evacuate them. Her duty was to her husband-to-be, and she wasn't going to leave him even if it were their end. She was determined they would face it together, like everything else. In truth... Rebeca was not sure she could survive being a widow...

When Rebeca entered the room she was shocked at the devastation. The couple couches to either side of the door were slashed to ribbons and upturned. Books and paper were scattered around the room like a windstorm had blown through. Mitch's desk, while still in one piece, had several deep cuts in it. Mitch himself was in better shape than everything else in the room, but he still l9oked like hell, she could tell Mitch was tiring. At that moment the intruder seized at Mitch's exhaustion and slammed him against the wall sized window behind Mitch's desk. The glass was build to withstand long arms fire but Mitch's attacker was about to run him through when Rebeca drew her pistol and put three bullets into his attacker's back. The gunshots were loud in Rebeca's ear, and she saw the force if the shots stagger the intruded, Mitch took advantage and stabbed his sword through the enemy.

His attacker didn't make a sound and barely paused before continuing the fight. Making Mitch hesitate which nearly cost him his head as the assassin nearly decapitated him. Mitch broke engagement with his attacker.  
"Run Rebeca!" Mitch yelled. His voice not distorted but bestial, not entirely his own his face was also started to look like an animal. Rebeca did as she was told and ran out of the room. Mitch followed her in a fighting retreat. Rebeca turned around as she saw Mitch holding it at bay at the door frame. She pulled her rapier free from its scabbard and mad opportunistic stabs between the gaps in Mitch's body as he parried the attacker, over 10 seconds she scored at least 3 to 4 solid hits Nd a couple grazes but it didn't even seem to faze their attacker. Rebeca gasped as Mitch was rammed back against her as he was body checked by the assailant, and they fell to the floor together. Rebeca let out a scream as she saw Mitch get stabbed through the chest.  
"Mitch!" Rebeca screamed. His attacker made to stab down again, but he spontaneously combusted, fire springing up around it and clinging to the attacker. After a moment the fire and attacker were gone with only a small pop and the faint whiff if burned ozone was all that was left when the assassin had disappeared into thin air.

Rebeca turned when she heard some commotion off to her left and saw Erin, Melissa and a large black robed man with a steel staff running together towards them. Rebeca turned her attention to Mitch, who was quiet and still, his breathing so shallow...  
"Come on baby, your going to be ok," she whispered starting to lose her composure.  
"Mitch... you can't! You can't leave me!" Rebeca wailed tears clouding her vision as she felt someone pull her away from Mitch, talking to her, but she couldn't hear them, only silence of her love laying, bleeding on the floor. A small group of people arrived and started to surround Mitch. Rebeca recognized them as medically trained Pureblood and the strange robed man was directing them. Rebeca felt herself fall heavily into her grief, not knowing if Mitch was alive or dead, or if he would be ok even if he did survive.../pre 


	3. Chapter 1c

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Chapter 1.c

*Following Melissa

Melissa did her best to try to console Rebeca, but she was never the empathetic one, that was Erin's forte, but he was with Mitch and the new arrival, called himself Lord Dace, still dealing with his perceived failure of his duty to Mitch. Erin was Mitch's retainer, his power to sense danger before it happened had saved Mitch's life on more than one occasion but Erin was Mitch's bodyguard and now Mitch's life was in danger. Erin had told her that Rebeca had charged him with the estate's evacuation and luckily for all of them the only ones hurt were from the security team and no fatalities amazingly. Yet she heard her beast from the back of her mind, referring to Mitch.

Rebeca was inconsolable though, Melissa took her to her and Mitch's room despite Rebeca's protests and Melissa stayed with her until her grief had exhausted her, and she had cried herself to sleep. Melissa excused herself from Rebeca's room after she was sure Rebeca was asleep.  
"How is she holding up?" Alice asked Melissa. Alice was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway that Rebeca's room door was. She was wearing a bright red tank top, and orange shorts. It didn't quite match her now frazzled hair and her skin still had a few flecks of dried blood that wasn't hers. Apparently she had seen some action too.  
"Her lover is in critical condition, on death's door. How do you think she is?" Melissa retorted. It was unkind and Mitch would've said unworthy of Melissa to say but her nerves were frayed as much as anyone's. Mitch meant more to her than she would admit to anyone, even herself.

Alice had gone quiet, her eyes downcast to the floor. Melissa sighed and changed the subject.  
"Where is Erin?" She asked and Alice looked up at her.  
"He has determined not to leave Mitch's side until Mitch dismisses him," Alice told her, the word choice sounding like it came from Erin himself.  
"Stubborn brother..." Melissa muttered under her breath. Erin had the power to sense danger before it happened and it had saved Mitch's and Rebeca's lives on more than one occasion but while on his way to Mitch's study after having one of his feelings he almost literally ran into Rebeca who had told him to have Alice, Melissa and himself evacuate the estate he had been too late to warn him, but from how Rebeca had been acting Mitch had been alive at that point. So he ran off to do as ordered.

But Erin was Mitch's retainer, his bodyguard and now Mitch was near death.  
"He also does not trust our new arrival," Alice added.

Our new arrival...

In her memories Melissa was in her bedroom, she had just escorted a dizzy Alice back to her room and was already in bed about to sleep when she heard a explosion that rocked the entire mansion. Within seconds Melissa's bedroom floor the ceiling sized window shattered and a black clad intruder in tactical gear holding a large SMG landed feet first in her room who had obviously rappelled down from the roof and came in feet first.

With lighting speed Melissa had retrieved the large combat knife from under her pillows and threw it with all her might and skill. The six inch blade struck home, embedding itself to the hilt in the helmet of her assailant, and he dropped like a rock before he could take a shot at her. Melissa heard gunfire and rolled off the bed but none of the gunfire was directed at her, she started to hear screams. The whole estate was under attack.

Melissa rushed over to her closet and put 9n her bullet-proof vest over her sleep attire: A long black tank top and shorts and slip on shoes she had gotten from the closet along with her protective vest. She took her intruder's SMG and a spare clip she had found. She also retrieved her knife but stopped a moment.

The blood covered knife called to her, just a taste? What's the harm? The man who attacked her was dead... surely he doesn't need his blood anymore... Melissa gritted her teeth and shook her head. This was definitely not the time for these thoughts and urges. With some effort she pulled her gaze from the bloody knife, wiped it down and placed it in its sheath which had been under her pillows, and then she fixed the sheath to her vest. When she had gotten her vest and shoes she had also retrieved her 'dirty harry' style revolver and holster.

Melissa had always been a fighter, even before Nathan took her and her brother's old lives and gave them new ones. Nathan had continued her combat training and expanded it t9 include firearms, that was 10 years ago. Unlike Purebloods, who age slowly after they start drinking blood. Kindred stop aging entirely, probably a byproduct of dying in the process of becoming Kindred. She would have the same 20-year old body, forever, in theory at least, if she didn't die along the way.

Melissa checked out the hallway outside her room but it was clear of hostiles or anyone. Melissa crouched a little and proceeded down the hallway carefully, the sub machine gun held out in front of her pointed out, her finger across the trigger guard. She was not surprised at the lack of people in the hall. In this situation the standard procedure was to enter the crawl space under the floor that every room had access to, if you knew where to look, and make your way to the Vault which was a sort of panic room that was large enough and had the facilities, supplies and strength to withstand a siege until help arrived, if the panic button had been pressed then it would send out a signal to every pure blood house that the Valentine Estates had put out a distress signal and since House Valentine hosted Pureblood from every other House... That distress signal would be answered.

The only exceptions for standard procedure were the Lord and Lady of the House, the Senechal who handled most of the day to day activities of the estates themselves, currently Alice, and the Security Team. Which consisted of herself, Erin and half a dozen other Kindred and combat grade Pureblood. Melissa could hear gunfire being exchanged in the main front room, and she made her way there. She crouched low as she entered the room from the second floor which exclusively consisted if seating that overlooked the floor below since the first floor was the audience chamber where Mitch and Rebeca would conduct their formal and public business in front of anyone who was a resident who wished to observe.

It was a massive chamber. From floor to ceiling was at least 40 feet tall, it was a circular room about 200 feet from wall to opposite wall. The walls themselves were now rattled with bullet holes on the first floor as the black armored intruders traded shots with her badly out numbered security team, Melissa could see her brother down there and wished she could be down there with him, but she had to keep a level head. It seemed pike the security team was able to contain the main force of attackers in the audience chamber seeing the door between the attackers and her team was not open. She tried to access the situation for her team. One was on the floor, his body torn from bullets, another was slumped against a pillar on her team's side that served Also the anchor for her team'S makeshift barricades and was being helped by another. Leaving just Erin and another kindred on the front lines against a dozen enemies.

She drew her attention to the attackers, they were all armed and armored similarly to the one she had killed in her room. There were ten of them up and active, 2 were down on the ground, bleeding profusely, the rest were either trying to advance or laying down covering fire. Mel8ssa did her best to lie low and used the railing to conceal herself from view, she started to set up a firing position using the railing to steady her aim when she caught another armored figure entering the second floor of the main room from the opposite side of the room.

The second floor consisted of just a row of seats and a couple feet of walkway between the edge of the seats and the railing. Melissa shifted her targeting and shot the newcomer from across the room who was about to start laying down fire on her team from above their barricade. She shot well and put a round through the lens of one of the attacker's helmet. The shots gave her position away, and she jumped down behind the security team's barricade just as the area she had been in was shot to shit. Melissa landed into a roll right up against the barricade. The 20-foot fall was jarring but between not feeling pain like a normal person and the adrenaline shooting through her, it was just jarring.

"Melissa!" Erin exclaimed after turning around, his pistol trained on her just for an instant.  
"Erin, Kelly. What's the situation?" Melissa asked calmly before letting loose a long burst from her SMG from above the barricades without looking.  
"Robert is out of action but not dead. James is down but Rachel is healing him but its slow going," Kelly informed Melissa. Kelly was in her full security uniform, which wasn't surprising since she was active night shift security. She had a pump-action shotgun which she fired after giving her report. She had a long sleeved black T-shirt and slacks on with her protective vest over her shirt. She had copper colored hair pulled back into a ponytail, her facial features were round, and she was a bit larger than Melissa both in terms of height and weight, being 6 inches taller and 60 lbs heavier than Melissa's petite 5ft 4, 140 lbs "One down," she reported after ducking back, and they heard and felt rumble as a stream of fire eat away at their barricades.  
That leaves 9 more. Who are they? Do we know?" Melissa asked them.  
"Unknown but if i had to guess? Mercenaries of some sort, well funded, and they are human," Erin answered popping a couple shots off with his pistol, a 9mm semi automatic glock.  
" If they are human have you tried engaging in hand-to-hand?" Melissa asked before giving a signal. As one, they all rose and Kelly and Erin provided Melissa with covering fire as Melissa gunned one of the closest intruders down before they ducked behind their barricade and moved over slightly.

"One down," Melissa reported.  
"Robert tried towards the beginning, but they cut him down before he could get to them. It seems they are well-informed of some of our abilities," Kelly answered her.  
"We are running low on ammunition, i've got this last clip " Erin reported as he changed out his magazine.  
"6 shots," kelly reported after taking a second to check.  
"Almost out with this clip but ive got another plus my 6 shots for my magnum," Melissa informed them.  
"Cover me," Melissa told them and took a second before all of them rose and Kelly and Erin provided Melissa with cover fire as she took aim at the next closest. Unfortunately her shots were wide and when they all ducked back down and shifted around the barricade again she reported.  
"I missed that time," she said as she loaded tye fresh clip into the SMG.

Melissa saw James and Rachel make their way over to the barricade, a pistol for each of them.  
"Good to see you up James," Melissa said. James was a pure blood but Melissa tried not to hokd that against him, and he did the same for her about being Kindred. He was a smaller man, about 5 ft 4 inches maybe, short sandy blonde hair his blue t shirt and jeans stained darker with blood but it was unappealing to Melissa. The Pure's blood didn't smell and Kindred couldn't keep it down anyways, it just made them hungrier.  
"Ma'am," he said awknolging her.  
"Good work Rachel," Melissa complimented the other Pureblood of their security team.  
"Sorry it took so long, i had to extract a bullet before healing him up," Rachel apologized. She was wearing only a too big T-shirt and short shorts, indicating she had probably been sleeping when the shit hit the fan.

"Stop where you are! Identify yourself!" Melissa heard over the gunfire but it wasn't d8rected at them. But from outside.  
"Did you call for help?" Melissa asked Erin.  
"It was protocol so yes but it's too early..." Erin was cut off by a high pitch scream and yelling.

Melissa took a risk and peeked out from their cover and saw all their attackers being rushed up in the air towards the ceiling like gravity had been reversed for them. They struggled as they were lifted up at frighting speed to the ceiling where they all hit with a sickening bone crunching force before falling to the floor at the same speed.

There was a single figure standing in where the door had been. He was a tall man, at least 6 ft 6 inches, 200 lbs of lean muscle. He was wrapped in black cloth that seemed to weave into a body suit. His arms and face were bare, his dark skin covered in scars that seemed purposefully cut. He held a couple inch thick solid metal staff about 6 ft long. He strode confidently, purposefully into the main chamber.

Melissa motioned for her team to stand down, noticing them all tensed and ready to spring into action.  
"We appreciate the help but who are you and why are you here?" Melissa asked.  
"My name is Lord Dace. Take me to the silver haired man named Lord Michel Valentine. He is in grave danger and not from these men," he said. Melissa frowned.  
"What do you mean?" Melissa asked.  
"We don't have time for this," the man said, frustrated. Melissa frowned and shook her head but believed him nonetheless.  
"Kelly, James, secure these bodies and the front door," Melissa ordered, and they both nodded.  
"Erin. Go get some medical personnel from the Vault," Melissa said.  
"Rachel, your with me, Lord Dace, follow me if you would," she said before turning and heading to Mitch's study.

Melissa snapped out of her revelry back to reality.  
"I'm going to go check on Mitch," Melissa told Alice and headed to the medical office without preamble./pre 


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*Following Mitch Valentine

Mitch awoke on a flat plane, darkness surrounding him and the 'ground', if he  
could be so charitable, was made of nothing but was solid enough at least to  
support his weight. This place seemed familiar but Mitch could not place when  
he had been here last.  
"Are you going to lay there for much longer?" He heard… Himself say? Mitch  
looked around and saw Michel standing above him with a hand outstretched to  
help him up.  
At least Mitch assumed it was Michel, Mitch had never 'met' a physical form of  
Michel. The being above him could have almost passed as Mitch's twin and  
Mitch accepted his double's hand who provided the leverage Mitch needed to  
pull himself up fluidly. Now that Mitch was looking though, there were a  
number of subtle differences, most defied words other than 'different'. One of  
the most noticeable changes were the eyes, which on Michel were a burning acid  
green that seemed to look through him. His silver hair seemed just a little longer  
and definitely not kept like Mitch's. He was wearing the same outfit as Mitch but  
his posture was different, while Mitch's was relaxed, Michel's was more like a  
coiled serpent ready to strike.  
"Thanks Michel," Mitch thanked him.  
"Mitch," he said, not looking at Mitch but looking around.  
"Where are we?" Mitch asked Michel.  
"A choke point in your Labyrinth," Michel answered and in an instant. Michel  
and Mitch were standing in a corridor with stone cobblestones for a floor and  
smooth stone serving as walls and ceiling.  
"What?" Mitch asked. Mitch was not questioning the surrounding changes. It  
was like a dream. Where you don't question what happens in the dream and only  
after you wake do you realize something was strange."Your labyrinth. We are in your mind or a visualization of your mind. I  
summoned you here," Michel explained. He was not looking around but staring  
straight ahead.  
"Why?" Mitch asked. Michel closed his eyes and looked like he was  
concentrating.  
"Because we are not alone… We are being invaded…" Michel said and like  
lighting he sprung into action and drew an exact copy of the sword Kastov had  
forged for him and sliced a partially manifesting intruder in half, it looked  
exactly like the mysterious as salient Mitch had just fought against. 'At least I  
can cut these' Mitch thought to himself.  
It was then that Mich realized that he too was armed.  
"Get ready to fight. I hope you fight better this time… if you die here… well… I  
don't know for sure but if I had to guess… we would end up brain-dead," Michel  
said.  
Mitch opened his mouth to say something when his instincts kicked in, and he  
ducked under a machete like blade that was about to take my head off and I saw  
Michel shove his sword through its chest and it Disolved into a mist-like  
substance before disappearing completely. Michel gave Mitch a smug look.  
"At least I'm not babysitting," he said when his eyes snapped up and Mitch saw  
too… At least a dozen copies if the black cloaked armored warrior. Mitch heard  
an inhuman growl in challenge and saw Michel throw himself into the intruders  
and started laying waste to them. Mitch gripped his sword and tore it frees of its  
sheath and charged in after Michel, hoping that if they fought off their attackers  
he could return to the waking world.

***

Mitch ducked under an overhead blow and sliced his sword through his  
opponent's mid-section just as another pair of assailants attacked and Mitch  
frantically tried to parry the pair of swords but only managed to deflect one and lessen the blow of the other causing Mitch to stumble back. Immediately over  
his shoulder he saw Michel's sword streak through the air like a dart to spear one  
of Mitch's opponents and with lighting speed Michel appeared to fly past Mitch  
and unsheathed his sword from his rapidly materializing opponent to behead the  
other, it looked cool as hell but it left him open to a telling blow had Mitch not  
recovered ans parried the sword for Michel and Mitch stabbed his sword to the  
hilt through the enemy.

Mitch was breathing heavy as he parried another sword thrust as Michel struck  
the killing blow. Mitch was tiring, they had been fighting for a while but it was  
hard to tell time in this… Mindscape. Even Michel wasn't nearly as enthusiastic  
as he had been.  
"Any ideas?" Mich asked as they switched roles and Michel parried blows to  
leave the enemy open to Mitch's killing strikes.  
"Retreat will not buy us much time, and they might catch us in the open which  
would let them surround us," Michel said coldly. His speech uninhibited by the  
exertion of the fighting that winded Mitch. He tried to figure out what Michel  
was thinking, but he couldn't tell. Maybe he would never be able to, Michel  
didn't think like a human in any case.  
Mitch was one-half of a whole, one side of a coin that was himself. Michel was  
the other half, the other side of the coin. One of the many changes done to Mitch  
when he underwent the "Change" as he came to call it, his transformation from  
human to… whatever he was now, was the splitting of his soul.  
While Mitch was thoughtful, Michel was instinctive. Mitch was diplomatic and  
Michel was aggressive. Most of the time Mitch was somewhat rational, while  
Michel was mostly impulsive. Mitch had not even noticed at first when it  
happened so little he was what Michel was. But he had the capacity and perhaps  
he always had the potential to be Michel and maybe in different circumstances  
he may have been but that was not the reality at the moment.

Michel's exemplified the traits the Mitch was not, this combined with the fact he  
had almost no experience with other people aside from what he observed while  
'riding along' with Mitch. Could combine to make a psychopath, or sociopath.  
Mitch did his best to curb those kinds of thoughts in Michel but…. Mitch was  
also afraid of himself if he let Michel loose with no restraints. He knew nothing  
would happen to Rebeca, Michel saw her in his own way the way Mitch saw her,  
but everyone else? Everything Mitch was trying to build? He did not know how  
Michel would react to all that.

Mitch and Michel made a break for it, both running down a hallway made of  
stone if only to earn a small reprieve from grueling combat.  
"How many do you think there are? We must have bested over 100 of them,"  
Mitch said, his breathing heavy, and he felt fatigued.  
"I struck the killing blow on 97 of them and I know you have killed more than  
three sos yes, over 100. I do not think they will deplete though," Michel said, his  
voice neutral and voice measured.  
"So… we are fighting a battle we can't win?" Mitch said breathless. The  
realization that Michel was probably right felt like a steady constant pressure  
about to crush him.  
"That may be, but we will fight nonetheless for -" Michel started and slid to his  
knees and slid under the blade of an intruder who materialized right in front of  
them. Mitch avoided the blade but only just by throwing himself to the side and  
Michel slashed one of the attacker's legs off as he slid by it on his knees before  
fluidly standing and continuing to run.  
"We fight for Rebeca for the chance to see her again," Michel finished telling  
Mitch. Hearing Rebeca's name hardened Mitch's resolve, and he stopped and  
turned to their pursuers. Michel was at Mitch's side.  
"You hurt. Don't be reckless," Michel warned Mitch, and he noticed his wounds.  
A dozen non-fatal wounds all over him, but he didn't feel them as much as he  
expected. Mitch also wasn't sure what the implications of these wounds were, but he figured he wouldn't like them.  
"Speak for yourself," Mitch said noticing Michel also had wounds, about half as  
many as Mitch and most only half as serious. Michel simply nodded.

Michel and Mitch continued to fight together, they were both getting better. At  
least Mitch was getting better at fighting and Michel was getting better at  
working with Mitch, better at coordinating their movements without speaking.  
Even so the wounds continued to accumulate and Mitch felt his fatigue slow his  
movements. Whatever Michel was he was a tireless opponent and despite the  
growing number of wounds and long time between lulls in the fighting, he was  
just as fast and deadly as he was since Mitch woke up.  
All it took was an extended leg though for the illusion that they had a chance to  
shatter. Mitch felt a white-hot pain as his leg was speared by an opponent's  
sword and At that moment of inattention brought 9n by pain Mitch took a nasty  
slash to his chest, and he yelled in pain as he collapsed to the floor on his back.  
In a blur of motion Michel plucked Mitch's sword out of the air before it hit the  
ground and Mitch caught a glint of steel and resolve in Michel's eyes, the closest  
Mitch had seen Michel display any of what he was thinking. The next dew  
seconds saw Mitch to the floor and his recovering his wits and in that time half a  
dozen of their closest attackers were disappearing and Michel was crouched over  
Mitch, one sword held in a reverse grip, and he saw Michel's posture was  
defensive. He was guarding Mitch.  
"Michel… you need to go. We might be able to survive if one of us makes it but  
if we both fall…" Mitch trailed.  
"I know Mitch but… Rebeca would try to kill me, or at the very least never  
forgive me if I left you to your fate," Michel said to Mitch, causing Mitch to  
look up at him in surprise. Maybe Michel was not a lost cause. He at least cared  
about Rebeca more than himself, despite himself. Michel saw Mitch's look and  
sneered in Mitch's direction.  
" Don't look so surprised. It's been six months since I agreed to never hurt  
Rebeca, even in the throes of frenzy and your… love… seems to have infected me too… I blame you," Michel said but Mitch was smarter and more observant  
than to not notice the fondness that he spoke Rebeca's name and Mitch could tell  
that was all Michel.  
Michel's head suddenly snapped up, and he started moving in a circle around  
Mitch. He looked up from his prone position and saw the bastards had  
surrounded them like a pack of wolves. This was our last stand and Mitch would  
be damned if he was gonna spend it in his back and started to get up. Michel's  
foot gently pressed Mitch back down to the floor flat.  
"You won't survive the standing," Michel told him.  
Mitch wanted to laugh at that, given our situation but all he felt was pain flare  
which banished any other thoughts. Satisfied, Michel took his foot off Mitch's  
chest and set his attention on the dozens of attackers surrounding us.  
All of a sudden, and all at once, every single intruder was wreathed in purple  
fire, black at the edges. They all started screaming, which felt like nails on a  
chalkboard in their ears, especially since it was the first time either of them had  
heard a sound from any of them. Shrieking, inhuman voices in pain before they  
exploded, materializing. Michel stayed in his defensive posture but was as  
confused as Mitch was at the moment. The confusion was over in an instant as  
Michel reoriented himself facing a newcomer but this one was different from the  
hundreds of attackers they had just faced down. He was a tall man with Ebony  
colored skin covered in scars. He wore a form fitting body suit with exposed  
arms and carried a steel staff.  
The man opened his mouth to be but stopped as he realized there were  
apparently two of the same person before him. Michel does not relax his stance  
but is first to speak.  
"Who are you and what are you doing in our mind?" Michel asked, his voice and posture wound up tight just waiting to spring.  
"My name is Lord Dace and I… from your perspective…" his voice had an  
accent to it, English maybe? He takes a breath before continuing.  
"Invaded your mind in order to strike at the heart of the psychic heart of the  
Daemonic influence that was manifesting those psychic constructs that were  
assaulting you. I have torn that heart out and irradiated any taint left over. You  
should be safe now but it appears…." he trails, looking to Mitch on the ground.  
"That some damage has already been done," he finishes and Michel relaxes only  
slightly.  
"What are you and by what power do you violate our labyrinth?" Michel asks,  
his eyes on Lord Dace, but he hasn't moved since he started speaking.  
"I… simply put am a magic user. Right now I am seated next to you in your  
home. I used magic to cast my mind into yours as there was no way for you to  
conquer the daemon on your own. I've been here for roughly 2 hours in the real  
world. I would have helped sooner but… a labyrinth is an appropriate term for  
the construction of this mindscape. Impressive work," Lord dace explained and  
both Mitch and Michel were silent for a long while. Both processing what Lord  
Dace told them. That he used real magic to enter their minds and helped them  
out of an impossible situation. That what attacked them was a Daemon, Mitch  
couldn't even process that information fully… he had so many questions but also  
knew now while he was laying there seriously injured. Michel must have  
thought the same thing because he was all business when he next spoke.  
"How are you sitting next to us in our home. What happened at the Valentine  
estates while we were engaged?" Michel asked, Lord Dace shook his head.  
"This conversation is better had on the other side. Um… which of you is the  
psychic construct and which is the true inheritor of this mind?" He asked looking  
between them. Mitch propped himself up and looked at Lord Dace.  
"What do you mean?" Mitch asked.  
"Which of you is real and which of you is created for this mindscape?" Lord Dace asked, clarifying.  
"We are both real. Two halves of one soul," Mitch explained to Lord Dace  
whom's eyes grew wide.  
"I'd be very interested in a conversation explaining how that happened," Dace  
said with a gleam in his eye. He looked like he wanted to step forward but eyed  
Michel who was still watching him like a coiled serpent.  
"Then what can I call you both?" He asked quickly.  
"I'm Mitch, and that is Michel," Mitch said indicating himself first, then Michel.  
"Mitch then. You must be hanging on by a thread judging by the nature of your  
wounds. If you'll let me I might be able to heal you, it won't be much since  
healing the mind and soul are very different from healing the body but you will  
survive your body waking. Since the trauma inflicted on your body was severe.  
Your mind will be damaged when you wake and that might kill you in your  
current state. But if you let me heal you. I can make sure you will survive the  
waking," Lord Dace explained. Mitch and Michel were both silent for a time.  
Mitch looked to Michel and nodded and Michel in turn, relaxed a bit more and  
sheathed his sword.  
"Very well wizard," Michel said with a sigh.  
Lord Dace nods and walks over to Mitch before kneeling next to him. Lord Dace  
took a deep breath before placing his hands over Mitch a couple inches off him  
and started muttering some words under his breath and Mitch saw some of  
Dace's scars open up and new ones form as some of Mitch's wounds started to  
close up on their own, but the process was slow and Lord Dace had been  
muttering the entire time, maybe like a chant? After about 20 minutes Lord  
Dace stood.  
"I've done all I can," He said. Mitch noticed Lord Dace's breathing was heavy as  
if he was exhausted from the effort.  
"Thank you, Lord Dace," Mitch said.  
"Yes, thank you for healing him," Michel chimed in. He had been standing  
against a wall the entire time watching Lord Dace's work.  
"Your welcome and I'll see you on the other side," he said and disappeared.  
"Mitch…" Michel trailed in thought, leaning against a wall in the hallway they  
were in.  
"Michel?" Mitch asked, standing to his feet. It only hurt a lot but it definitely  
wouldn't kill him. Michel took a breath before walking over to Mitch, standing  
face to face. It was… slightly unsettling for Mitch to be talking to Michel like  
this.  
"You are too weak to be in control…" Michel started before stopping,  
considering his words which was a surprise to Mitch, who was about to fly off  
the handle until Michel started talking again.  
"Your mind… This self of you is your mind, your conscious, your psyche,"  
Michel explained, indicating Mitch's self.  
"It has been damaged extensively and if you were in control it will kill our  
body," Michel told me, his voice flat.  
"What? What do you mean and how do you know?" Mitch asked angry but not  
as much as he had been.  
"You… will have to be like me, trapped in this mindscape. You'll be able to  
experience what your body does and feel but you will not be in control. You will  
heal though in time, but the process will be slow. And I know… probably  
because I've been here for so long," Michel said, looking around the labyrinth.  
"So… like a pas anger in a vehicle but the vehicle is my body?" Mitch asked.  
Michel stopped for a moment considering Mitch's analogy.  
"Yeah… that would be an appropriate analogy," Michel responded.  
"You will be able to communicate with me in the same way that I communicated  
with you but that will be your only influence," Michel said and Mitch nodded.  
Understanding, Michel had no reason to lie to him. Quite to the point, Michel  
had never lain to him in the past, as far as Mitch knew. And Michel had as much  
reason to live as Mitch, seeing as how they were sharing a body.  
"Michel…" Mitch trailed, his eyes downcast for a moment before looking  
Michel in the face.  
"I'm sorry for not letting you out more," Mitch said. Michel only shrugged.  
"It was… understandable. You were questioning of my motives and actions,"  
Michel said and Mitch nodded this time.  
"Please… be thoughtful," Mitch requested.  
"I understand you," Michel said.  
"Will I know how to experience what is going on?" Mitch asked. Michel's face  
was a blank mask.  
"It will be instinctive, as long as I allow the connection, and I will maintain that  
connection for as long as I am in control, you will be able to know what I know,  
feel what your body does," Michel assures Mitch.  
"Are you ready?" Michel asked after a second.  
"No… But go ahead," Mitch said and Michel nodded and closed his eyes before  
disappearing before Mitch's eyes. Leaving Mitch in the labyrinth, alone. He  
closed his eyes and concentrated on their connection and saw through his-  
Michel's eyes.


	5. Chapter 3

pre style="overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"My girlfriends a vampire: And so am I

*following Michel

I woke with a start, my senses felt... Different, real, must have been the difference between the Labyrinth and the real world. I felt an altogether unfamiliar presence settle in my mind.  
"Michel? You have been unconscious for a while. I can not tell how long though" Mitch informed me from our mind. His initial reaction to my presence made more sense now that I could 'feel' it for myself. On top of all the other changes that had been happening at the time I doubted that I would have reacted differently in Mitch's position.

I leaned up after opening my eyes and looked around. I was not in my bedroom, that is to say, Mitch's and Rebeca's bedroom. It felt strange to think of things that belonged to Mitch as mine as well but that strangeness would probably pass soon enough.

I took a breath and looked around, I had a needle in my arm attached to a plastic tube leading to a bag held upside down by a metal pole, an IV drip. I was not personally familiar with an IV drip but I found that I knew everything that Mitch knew. I suspected that it was the same way with Mitch, an i instinctual understanding of whatever I knew. I was about to remove the drip but Mitch urged me not to. Fearing that I would damage our body. I reminded him that any damage that I would inflict would quickly heal. Even so, I carefully removed the IV needle from my arm and while doing, so I noticed that I was wearing a paper gown and I had suction cup like plastic circles on my body with wires leading up to a machine that monitored my heart rate among other vital functions.

Neither of us knew how to turn the machine off, but we were alone in the room. We were still in the Valentine Estates. That much we knew, but we did not immediately recognize the room. We both figured someone would come by if the machine no longer recognized a heartbeat. I moved to start removing the suction cup circles until Mitch suggested calling out for someone but I ignored him and took the monitors off my arms, chest and head.

The machine's asthmatic beep turned into a long, constant tone and it was not long before someone came in at a hurried pace. A young woman who appeared a couple years older than me came into the room in a nurse's scrubs and pants. She was closer to a healthy weight for her height and age unlike most women in these days. She gasped as she saw me sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"Doctor!" She cried before she rushed over to me, holding her hands out to try and stop me from standing.  
"M'Lord please don't move until the doctor has taken a look at you," she told me quickly. Mitch was indicating for me to take her advice but I ignored them both and tried standing, and failed surprisingly. I fell forward slightly as my legs gave out from under me. The nurse held out her arms and embraced me as she caught me. I wasn't exactly a slim man but not heavy either. I was surprised in any case that she was able to bear my weight with surprising ease.

That's when I noticed her scent first. A sweet savory scent filled my nostrils indicating that she was a Kindred. I could feel her cold skin against mine and my fangs half extended as I saw her corpse white neck exposed to me and my mouth salivated at the thought of tasting her blood that ran just below her skin. I almost didn't register my face start to lower when I winced in pain as a white noise filled my ears. Growing louder and more intense it almost sounded like the ringing was filling my mind and this time I truly collapsed to the floor. My body involuntarily spamming out of her grasp. And as quick as it came the ringing white noise left me and I groaned before hearing Mitch in my mind.  
"Restraint Michel. Just as your job is to protect me. I will protect you. If you feed off anyone you want all we have built up will collapse around us. You are threatening our stable source of food," Mitch told me and I growled in my mind at him, but he was right. I felt the Kindred woman touch me with a sense of urgency and alarm unaware of how close to being fed on she had been. I tried to get up but our body was weak, and we required the nurse's help to pick ourselves up. I thanked her and she nodded.

She started talking to me about atrophying muscles after helping us to the bed and I frowned "How long have I been unconscious?" I asked her. Interrupting her train of thought. She stammered and paused before answering me.  
"Three days m'Lord," she said and I raised an eyebrow.  
"Three days," I said surprisingly.

It was then that a middle-aged pure blood man with greying hair, blue eyes and a pristine white lab coat walked in with another man. The second man was significantly younger than the first man and a Kindred with his sister's brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a black T-shirt under a brown duster and sturdy blue jeans. The second man I recognized as Erin, Melissa's brother.  
"M'lord," he said and stood at attention.  
"Erin, please bring Rebeca to me and inform Melissa and Alice that I am awake," I told him. He nodded before heading out of the room. Spinning on a heel since he had been standing at attention in the doorway after who I presumed was the doctor had walked in.

The doctor started talking to me and I ignored him for the most part until he mentioned it would take a day or two before I would be walking around like normal. "Just a day before the Gala," Mitch told me.

He also suggested I try using a cane to help me along, at least until I could walk normally. I was about to spit out a retort but bit my tongue when Mitch told me no matter how st4ong my will was. Our body was weak right now, too weak to move unassisted. And unless I wanted to be bedridden or to fall over everywhere I wanted to go and look like a fool he suggested listening to the doctor for now. I reluctantly agreed to the doctor's suggestion, he and the nurse then left to retrieve a cane for me.

This left me in the room alone and I started getting dressed. I had noticed the nurse had brought me a change of clothes and set them on the bed and will entirely too much effort I was able to dress myself without falling down. Mostly sitting on the edge of the bed, but I was able to stand slightly leaning against the bed and was able to put on my pants that way before sitting again.

My nostrils flared as I caught a familiar and reassuring scent in the air and I turned my head to the open doorway and within a few seconds I saw Rebeca's beautiful form walk into view. She had started running to me but before she had started she hesitated for just a second. Mitch had only let a select few people meet me "in the flesh" quite literally. Rebeca had not been one of them but after my ''Change'' Rebeca had insisted on meeting me and Mitch would not have denied her. Rebeca saw it, the minor, very subtle changes in us telling her which of us was in control, and she knew it was me.  
"Michel," she breathed

Rebeca's hesitation lasted for less then a second before she continued and ran over to me and hugged me tight. I resisted for as long as I could while returning her hug glad to see her safe and sound before a quiet hiss of pain escaped my lips.  
"Oh Hun! I'm so sorry," She said letting me go and I touched near the scar on my chest on reflex.  
"It's ok Rebeca," I say smiling up at her genuinely. I was almost able to convince myself that my feelings for Rebeca were merely the feelings of Mitch bleeding into my own psyche... Almost.

She smiled back at me and her eyes lit up.  
"Oh uh... Do you know it's been three days since you've been hurt?" Rebeca asks.  
"Yeah. They told me that," I say wondering where she was going with this.  
"Well... Alice and I have been getting visitors from all the houses the last couple days since the attack. We have managed to convince them to keep their people here but... Someone has arrived who I wanted you to meet," she says and I notice someone walked Into the doorway and through into the room and taking her place by Rebeca's side.

She was a woman around the same age as Rebeca and Mitch, maybe a year older. She had olive colored skin common to the natives of Italy with thick, dark chestnut brown hair and dark eyes. I was surprised at what I saw though... A flicker of recognition? And a sneer came to from up to this point, cold, stony expression. Then, all of a sudden I felt alone. Mitch had left, no trace of his presence was felt given the circumstances I guessed he withdrew deep into the Labyrinth if I could not feel him. Did he know Monica? What would provoke such an action?

She continued to walked with confidence and a predatory gait and I felt a flare of territoriality within me at the way she approached, but I was able to suppress it when she gave me a deep curtsy holding the ends if her long deep red skin lightly and bowing low. Her black tank top revealing a bit of cleavage. She was watching me the whole time, head bowed, and she flashed me a Flirtatious smile that only I could see when I noticed her bared skin for just an instant, making me frown, before ending the curtsy-bow and addressing me formerally.  
"M'Lord Michel Valentine, it is good to finally meet the fiancee of my best friend. My name is Monica Delacroix, the Eldest daughter and kin to Lord Kastov Delacroix," she said, giving herself a full introduction of herself to me.

I started to struggle, trying to rise and greet her. Rebeca was at my side and subtlety helped me up. Steadying me, so I was able to rise and offer my hand to her, and she shook it.  
"Uh... Welcome, Lady Delacroix..." I trailed and I realized then how much I relied on Mitch to help me to talk properly making me angry at Mitch for leaving so suddenly and I tried summoning Mitch from the Labyrinth. Which, surprisingly failed, either he was too deep to hear or he could refuse my summons. Both of which should have been impossible by my understanding.

Before I could say or do anything Monica giggled a little at my expense and my anger flared but before I could say anything I felt Rebeca's hand that was helping me on my arm squeeze.  
"Monica," I heard Rebeca say and I noticed she had a steely gaze on Monica. Monica smiled but stifled her laughter quickly.  
"Please accept my sincerest apologies Lady Bruno and Lord Te-Valentine," she says bowing low and my curiosity was roused. Did she almost call me by my first last name? How did she know it? It wasn't a secret but it wasn't exactly common knowledge since everyone called me by my House name now...

I felt Rebeca's hand squeeze tighter and I felt a wisp of her power escape her inadvertently. If Mitch was still human he would be unconscious or dead now given Rebeca's blood given power was commonly known as "Killing Grasp" since I was here though, I could nullify her power. It doesn't always work, nullifying pure blood power, but this was an accidental release of power, only a wisp of it at that but it was an indicator of how angry Rebeca was. I had not known Rebeca to get so upset. If I was Mitch he might have been scared. For me though... It was kind of hot at her display of emotion and how much she cared for how i was perceived.  
"Please leave us Lady Delacroix," she said quietly. Apparently when Rebeca was angry she got quiet and I guess addressing me by the wrong name was a major breach of etiquette to bring Rebeca to anger.

Monica bowed low to both of us, apparently getting the message, before speaking.  
"Of course Lady Bruno. I will retire to my room until you call on me," she said before backing up a couple steps still bowed before she stood normally and turned, leaving without another word. Rebeca stared after her after she left and looked to me knowingly and I nodded when I heard her footsteps grow quieter as she walked further and further away until I could not hear them.

Rebeca opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her "Something is off," I say looking up at Rebeca before continuing.  
"Mitch is... Withdrawn and isn't responding to me. That should not be possible. Give me a few minutes please," As i say this a look of concern spreads across Rebeca's face, and she nods, clearly worried.

I take a breath and withdraw myself into the Labyrinth. I closed my eyes and when I open them again I am within the familiar stone cobblestone floor and brick walls of the Labyrinth.  
"Mitch!" I cry out. My voice reverberating down the seemingly never ending halls.  
"You do not need to shout," I heard and spun around and saw my twin Mitch a few steps away he had not been there just a second ago and I did not hear him approach.  
"Mitch... Why did you leave me mid conversation?" I asked. Mitch... He might be ok at talking to people and his poker face is probably improving but... He can't hide anything from me, nor me to him. They say a picture is worth a million words but only one was needed to describe why Mitch had been withdrawn.  
"Monica." I said without preamble. I notice Mitch's jaw tighten at the mention of her name.  
"Do you know her?" I asked him, my tone flat.  
"No... But I remember those eyes... Those eyes are all I can remember from that night," Mitch told me. I frowned but closed my eyes before accessing our memory./pre 


End file.
